The Oromo thanksgiving festival in Ethiopia held near the end of the rainy season is Irreecha.
Irreecha is an Oromo thanksgiving celebration associated with gratitude for life, water, peace, and the natural world. Major gatherings take place near Bishoftu, formerly called Debre Zeyit, at Hora Arsadi Lake, as well as at other locations in Oromia. Participants commonly carry green branches and fresh grass, symbols connected with renewal and the rainy season.
The principal celebration is held after the rainy season, when communities give thanks for the benefits of water and the return of fertile conditions. Oromo cultural institutions, songs, clothing, and collective blessings are important parts of the event.
Irreecha is distinct from Meskel, the Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of the finding of the True Cross, and from Enkutatash, the Ethiopian New Year. Although Irreecha has religious and cultural dimensions, its modern public gatherings also express Oromo identity and community solidarity.